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Edith Keeler
Edith Keeler was a one-shot character from the first season of Star Trek. Appearing in the episode "The City on the Edge of Forever", she was a social worker from 1930's New York. She was portrayed by Joan Collins. History After traveling back in time from the year 2267 through the sentient time portal known as the Guardian of Forever, Doctor Leonard McCoy made the acquaintance of Keeler, who took care of him while he was in a delusional state as the result of an accidental cordrazine overdose. Keeler was a strong and vocal pacifist and her ideas on space travel, new energy sources, and a peaceful society brought ridicule from those at the shelter. Upon recovering, McCoy saved Keeler from dying in a traffic accident, unwittingly changing history. This resulted in the creation of an alternate timeline in which Keeler continued striving for her goals, and eventually founded one of the largest peace movements in the United States. Her actions finally attracted the attention of President Roosevelt, with whom she met on February 23, 1936, to confer on her plan of action for assisting the needy. By the late 1930s, the growing pacifism caused by actions Keeler set into motion would delay the United States' involvement in World War II, allowing Germany to complete its heavy water experiments and be first in the development of the atomic bomb. This, together with the V-2 rocket, enabled Germany to conquer the world. In the future, Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Spock learned of this alteration to history from the Guardian, who told them that, due to McCoy's actions in the past, history had been altered and the Earth they knew no longer existed. Having no choice, Kirk and Spock opted to travel to the past through the Guardian's portal, hoping to undo the damage to history caused by McCoy. Arriving at a point in time before McCoy's arrival, they met Edith Keeler, with whom Kirk quickly fell in love and the two began a relationship. Edith also observed that Spock was a true and loyal friend who belonged at Kirk's side and that he always would be. Edith mistakenly thought that Spock and Kirk had served together in World War I, and that was why Spock referred to Kirk as "Captain." Being trapped in the past where money was still used, Kirk and Spock stole clothes from a fire escape and needed food to survive. Spock also needed to acquire electronic components to build a mechanism with which he could retrieve essential information from his tricorder. Edith was able to secure work and living accommodations for both men. Upon reviewing tricorder data taken from the Guardian, Kirk and Spock learned that, in order to restore the timeline, Edith Keeler had to die. Reuniting with McCoy, Kirk made the difficult decision of stopping him from saving Keeler from the traffic accident, ensuring her death and thus the restoration of the timeline. Category:TV Characters Category:TV Deaths Category:Supporting Characters Category:Humans Category:Star Trek: The Original Series Category:Star Trek Category:Important Deaths Category:Tragic Deaths Category:Accidental Deaths Category:Death by Traffic